Portable car door table



June 29, 1954 D. c. DAVIS PORTABLE CAR DOOR TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 13, 1953 INVENTOR- fiayldffia was,

BY fl Z] 97.26%, pm wwaww 3 89 #1 m J 1 a J v 4 lamp v 4 LJ w 2 a w 3] p 7 5 3 III II 3| [Ill 5 im June 29, 1954 D DAWS' 2,682,438

' PORTABLE CAR DOOR TABLE Filed Oct. 13, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented June 29, 1954 H UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORTABLE CAR DOOR TABLE David C. Davis, Elkhart, Ind.

Application October 13, 1953, Serial No. 385,809

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to folding tables, and more particularly to a folding table adapted to be attached to the door of a motor vehicle.

A main object of the inventon is to provide a novel and improved table adapted to be attached to a vehicle door for supporting articles of food or the like thereon, the table being simple in construction, being easy to set up, and being neat in appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved foldable table adapted to be attached to a motor vehicle door, said table being inexpensive to manufacture, being sturdy in construction, being foldable to a compact volume for transportation or storage thereof, and being arranged so that it may be unfolded for use in a very short time and by a very simple manual procedure.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a motor vehicle showing an improved table device according to the present invention engaged upon the door of the vehicle.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a side portion of the folding table device of Figures 1 to 5, showing the manner in which the side bars of the table element are lockingly engaged with the abutment bars of the table frame.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 'I--'! of Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 4 but showing the table device in a folded position.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of the folded table device of Figure 8.

Referring to the drawings, the folding table is designated generally at II and comprises a pair of frame arms I2, I2 arranged parallel to each other and having the respective hooks I3, I3 secured to their upper end portions. The hooks I3, I3 are of fiat metal bar material and are provided at their inside surfaces with protective 2 car door I4 engaged thereby. As shown in Figures l and 3, the hook elements I3 are adapted to be engaged over the lower marginal portion of the window opening of the door I4 for supporting the table against the door, as will be presently described.

Designated at I5, I5 are respective depending abutment bars pivotally connected at their ends to the intermediate portions of the respective bars I2, I2, as shown at I6, IS. The abutment bars I5, I5 are arranged inwardly adjacent the respective frame bars I2, I2 and are at times foldable to positions substantially parallel to the frame bars I2, I2, as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The respective abutment bars I5, I5 are formed at their edges with the series of regularly spaced notches I'I, said notches facing outwardly, as is clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4.

It will be noted that the abutment bars I5, I5 are pivoted to the intermediate portions of the frame arms I2, I2 for rotation parallel to the hook elements I3, I3. Pivoted to the ends of the frame arms I2, I2 for rotation in planes parallel to said hook elements are respective additional bars I8, I8, said additional bars being pivotally connected at their intermediate portions to the ends of the frame arms I2, I2, as shown at I9, I9. Secured on the ends of and projecting outwardly from the respective bars I 8, I8 are the pins 20, 20 which are lockingly engageable in selected notches I! of the abutment bars I5, I5 to support the arms I8 in substantially horizontal positions, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Designated at 2I is a flexible sheet of canvas or other suitable flexible sheet material secured at its opposite side marginal portions to the respective bar members I8, I8. Secured to the intermediate portions of the respective bars I3, I8 are respective hinge brackets 22, 22, and pivoted to the respective hinge brackets at 23, 23 are the respective strut bars 24, 24. The inner ends of the strut bars 24, 24 are hinged together at 25, said strut bars being provided with the inclined end surfaces 26 which are angled so that the strut bars may be rotated past a dead center position and be releasablylocked by the tension in the flexible sheet material 2I to hold said sheet material in a taut condition. Thus, the strut members 24, 24 may be unfolded from their positions shown in Figure 9 wherein the strut bars are substantially parallel, to the positions of Figures 2 and 5, wherein the sheet material 2| is held in a taut condition.

It will be further apparent from Figure 5 that the tension in the sheet material 2| may be released by rotating the hinge 25 from the full line position shown in Figure 5 to the right namely, past the dead centered position of the strut members, to the dotted view position shown in Figure 5, whereby the sheet material 21 may be collapsed by moving the bar members [8, 18 together.

It will be understood that the end surfaces 26 of the bars 24, 24 are inclined at obtuse angles to the longitudinal axes of the respective strut bars 24, 24, whereby the abutment of the surfaces 26, as shown in Figure 5, serves to hold-the strut bars 24, 24 in looking positions.

In setting up the device, the hooks. l3, I3 are first engaged on the lower marginal portion of the window of the car door I4 and the pin elements 20, 20 are engaged in selected notches I! on the abutment bars, l5 to support the table bars l8, [8V in horizontal positions. The table bars l8, [8 are thenspread apart by rotating the strut bars 24, 24 fromtheir parallel positions, shown in Figure 9, to their extendedv positions shown in Figures 2 and;5, wherein the flexible sheet material 2| is locked in taut condition to provide the table surface. It will be understood that the hooks l3, 13 are spread apart simultaneously with the spreading movement of the table bars [8, l8, and finally are located in separated positions, such as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The table may be folded up by following a procedure reverse to that above described.

While a specific embodiment of an improved foldable table device for use on motor vehicle doors has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable table device comprising a pair of arms, respective hook elements at the ends of said arms adapted to be engaged on a motor vehicle door, a pair of abutment: bars pivotedto the intermediate portions. of 'said arms for rotation parallel to said hook elements, respective additional bars pivoted to the ends of said arms for rotation in planes parallel to said hook elements, a sheet of flexible material secured to said second-named arms, respective lateral projections on the ends of said second-named arms lockingly engageable with said abutment bars,

and foldable strut means connecting said secondnamed bars and being arranged to at times hold said second-named bars in spread apart positions with said sheet substantially taut.

2. A foldable table device comprising a pair of arms, respective hook elements at the ends of said arms adapted to be engaged on a motor vehicle door, a pair of abutment bars pivoted to the intermediate portions of said arms for rotation parallel to said hook elements, respective additional barspivotedto the ends of said arms for rotation in planes parallel to said hook elements, a sheet of flexible material secured to said second-named arms, said abutment bars beingformed with notches, respective lateral projections on the ends of said second-named arms iockingly engageable With said notches, and foldable strut means connecting said secondnamed bars and being arranged to at times hold said second-named bars in spread apart positions with said sheetsubstantially taut.

3. A foldable table device comprising a pair of arms, respective hook elements at the ends of said arms adapted to be engaged on a motor vehicle door, a pair of abutment bars pivoted to the intermediate portions of saidarmsfor rotation parallel to said hook elements, respective additional bars pivoted to the ends of said arms for rotation in planes parallel to said hook elements, a sheet of flexible material secured to said second-named arms, said abutment bars being formed with notches, respective lateral projections on the ends of said second-named bars lockingly engageable with said notches,

respective strut memberspivotally connected to said second-named bars,; and means. hingedly connecting the inner ends of said strut members together, the inner ends of said strut members being lockingly engageable with each other when said strut members .have been unfolded beyond their aligned positions to spread the secondnamed bars apart and stretchsaid-sheet to a substantially taut position.

References Citedin the file of this. patent UNITEDST'A'IES PATENTS Number Name Date 491,093 Edgerton Feb. 7, 1893 1,299,827 Edwards Apr. 8,. 1919 1,383,324 Martell; July 5, 1923 1,743,406 Stone Jan. 14,- 1930 2,433,090 Cass Dec. 23,1947 2,605,154 Clements et al July 29, 1952 2,635,676 Graffius et a1: Apr. 21, 1953 

